TURKISH PRESS REVIEW

WEDNESDAY JULY 10, 1996

Summary of the political and economic news in the Turkish press this morning

Britain: The Financial Times claimed that few political analysts
thought the coalition would last long. The paper thought that
Erbakan would not pose a direct threat to the secular structure
of the country but would place his supporters in positions of
influence. The Daily Telegraph was another daily which ran an
article on Monday's voting. It emphasized the role of the army in
Turkish politics and said that the military was cautious about
the new coalition.

Greece: Foreign Minister Theodoros Pangalos claimed that the
RP-DYP coalition was just a seasonal government. Pangalos said
that it was an alliance necessitated by the current situation,
although he acknowledged that Erbakan was democratically elected.

Syria: Syrian President Hafez al-Assad congratulated Turkey's
Necmettin Erbakan on his election as prime minister, saying he
hoped to improve ties between the two countries. "We are looking
forward to a joint action that will promote the ties of
friendship and cooperation between our two countries which are
linked by religious, neighbourly and historical ties" he said.

Israel: A Foreign Ministry spokesman congratulated the new
government and expressed the hope that the new coalition would
maintain special ties with Israel. "The change of power in Ankara
will not alter the common interests of the two countries" the
spokesman said.

Russia: Russian Television said that the RP would have difficulty
in putting its programme into practice. Before the December
election the RP promised to establish an Islamic union, an
Islamic common market and an Islamic NATO from Kazakhstan to
Morocco, yet these would be hard to realize. /All papers/

A security agreement has been signed between Turkey and Belgium.
The agreement was signed in Ankara by security chief Alaadin
Yuksel on behalf of Turkey and by General Commander of
Gendarmerie Willy Derrider on behalf of Belgium. Yuksel said that
the agreement included such areas as international drug
smuggling, terrorism, organized crimes, cooperation on illegal
migration, illegal workers, expert training and the appointment
of liaison teams.

Derrider stated his confidence that the measures would be put
into force rapidly and said that despite the differences between
the two countries, efficient liaison would bring about effective
cooperation. Asked his opinion of the pro-Kurdish private
television channel, MED TV broadcasting from Belgium, Derrider
answered that the Belgian police force would do its best as soon
as concrete evidence was available. The Belgian security chief
acknowledged the presence of Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK)
offices in Belgium. He said the representations were being
watched but noted that his department had limited authority
because it was a political matter.

After the ceremony, Derrider and Yuksel met with Interior
Minister Mehmet Agar. Agar said that the large number of Turks in
Belgium and the rise in terrorist activity there made cooperation
between the two countries all the more important. /All papers/

Turkey has sent a protest to the German government over a Kurdish
meeting held in Bonn. The Turkish Embassy contacted the German
Foreign Ministry immediately after the Kurdish meeting and
requested an explanation. The German ministry replied that the
meeting was outside the control of the German government. The
German officials also denied that German Foreign Minister Klaus
Kinkel had sent a message to the meeting. The Turkish government
had contacted Bonn before the meeting took place and demanded
that the German authorities cancel it. The message from the
Turkish government said: "There is a separatist organization
behind the meeting and the German government should not allow
this meeting to be held". The meeting took place despite the
warnings. Yasar Kaya and Mahmut Kilic, members of the so-called
Kurdish Parliament, also attended the meeting. /Cumhuriyet/

Turkish Cypriot President Rauf Denktas said a settlement in
Cyprus was "up to the Greek Cypriots". Talking to reporters
following his meeting with Sir David Hannay, the British envoy
for the Cyprus problem, Denktas said he was ready for direct
talks with Greek Cypriot leader Glafkos Klerides.

Stressing that the main obstacle to a Cyprus settlement was the
recognition of the Greek Cypriot side by the international
community as the sole legitimate government of the island, the
president said a settlement would be within reach if and when
Greek Cypriots abandon the title of government of Cyprus "that
they usurped by force of arms" and come to negotiations with the
intention of rebuilding a partnership federation with Turkish
Cypriots on the basis of political equality. /All papers/

Welfare Party (RP) leader Necmettin Erbakan's government won the
vote of confidence in the Turkish Parliament on Monday. US State
Department Spokesman Nicholas Burns said in a briefing in
Washington on July 3: "The actions are going to be very
important. The words are also important. The words have meaning.
The rhetoric has meaning. We are listening to the rhetoric as
well as watching the actions". He added: "When you are a long
term ally of the US, I think we have a right to expect that the
political dialogue between our two countries will continue to be
supportive, continue to be reasonable in terms of the vision and
prospects that both governments bring to this relationship".

Burns repeatedly underscored that Turkey must remain welded to
NATO and the West since the security dimension forms the
"bedrock" of Turkish-US relations. The Turkish government in the
last decade tried hard to wean bilateral relations from one
exclusively based on security concerns to an "enhanced
partnership" of diversified security and trade relations.

Burns made sure that his words would not be construed as being
directed at Erbakan's pro-Islamic preferences. "There is nothing
disturbing about the Islamic concerns of the Turkish government.
It is natural" Burns said. "Turkey is an Islamic country. And if
Turkey intends to build its relations with Arab countries, Muslim
countries, that's fine. That makes sense for Turkey. But Turkey
has Western friends as well -the US, Western Europe. Turkey has a
relationship with Greece that must be carried out in a
productive, constructive fashion. We hope very much that it will
continue that way". /All papers/

Foreign Minister Ciller yesterday hosted leading western
ambassadors at a dinner during which she reassured them that
Turkey would not abandon pro-western foreign policies.

During the meal Ciller told her listeners that the new pro-Islam
Refah Party led coalition would not create situations likely to
cause anxiety in the west. Ciller said that she felt sure the
coalition would continue to foster good relations with allies of
long standing.

Other top government officials including Foreign Ministry
Undersecretary Onur Oymen were present. /All papers/

The launch of a new satellite in which Turkey has a large share
was launched successfully at 01:25 this morning. Blown into space
by a French Ariane 4 rocket, the Turksat 1-C communications
satellite was soon in orbit despite a 45 minute delay in
blast-off.

The same French rocket carried another satellite for the Arab
countries -Arabsat 2A - which will also be used for military,
telephone and TV communications. /All papers/

Visiting Chief of General Staff, General Ismail Hakki Karadayi,
Defence Minister Turhan Tayan said: "We will conduct our duties
in line with the principles of Ataturk. Turkey will meet the
obligations of international agreements." /Hurriyet/

The Turkish team is the champion of the 7th International Biology
Olympics held in Ukraine among 23 countries. Mehmet Emin Yilmaz
from Istanbul Fatih Boys High School won a gold medal, and Berk
Bulut and Salih Inal won bronze medals.

At the 27th Physics Olympics in Norway, Emre Coskun from Izmir
Science High School won a bronze medal, and Baris Bayram and Emre
Dagli won mentions. /Hurriyet/

AIRBUS Industrie has presented an award to Turkish Airlines (THY)
which is the best at flying the A 340 type airbus in the world.

Vice-President of AIRBUS Customer Services, Muhammed El-Borai
presented plaques to the General-Director of THY, Atilla Celebi,
and assistant general directors Yusuf Bolayirli and Oktay Oztekin
in Istanbul and said: "The successful performance of THY depends
both on the quality of the aircraft and the professionalism of
the airline itself."

At the ceremony, THY General-Director Atilla Celebi said that THY
air-crews were very successful, and added that they aimed to
increase THY flights to America and the Far East and that a new A
340 airbus would be bought next year. /Hurriyet/

The third meeting of the Turkey-Iran Security Commission started
in Tehran, Iran yesterday. A Turkish delegation headed by
Interior Ministry Undersecretary Erol Cakir was received by First
Deputy Speaker of the Iranian Assembly Hasan Ruhani, and Interior
Minister Ali Muhammed Besarati prior to the meetings. After the
first round of talks between the two delegations was completed,
the Turkish delegation was received by Foreign Minister Ali Ekber
Velayeti. /Cumhuriyet/

French Deputy Foreign Minister Michel Barnier, who is paying a
visit to Athens, has called for the implementation of the EU-MEDA
programme which foresees economic aid to 12 Mediterranean
countries including Turkey. Barnier, who has gone to Athens to
exchange views with Greek officials on issues regarding the EU,
said that Greece should lift its veto on financial aid to Turkey,
and stressed that the MEDA programme should be implemented at
once without excluding Turkey. /Cumhuriyet/

Six PKK terrorists trained abroad and ready for attacks against
shopping centres ansd touristic places have been caught in Izmir.
During the operation a large quantity of explosives were
confiscated. /Sabah/